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Hum - the smallest city in the world

Hum is situated in the centre of Istria with barely 20 inhabitants. Only an hour-long pleasant drive from Umag, you can turn your trip to Hum into a beautiful story of Istrian small towns. This hidden part of Istria is extremely friendly to random visitors and you can always find a parking space there and as traffic jams are rare even in the peak of the summer season.

So small! Is it really a city?

The criteria for being classified as a city differ from country to country. We think this video explains it well and also shows off some of the views you can see in Hum, including the preserved city walls there are and its two small streets with three rows of houses. Incidentally, many regard the Vatican City as the smallest city in the world. In fact the Vatican City is a Sovereign State, so really it's a country! Today, Hum is a city-monument, one of the rare examples of urban development within city walls.

Origins and customs

According to the legend, Hum was built with the stones left over when giants were building towns in the river Mirna valley, an area in central Istria that includes wonderful hill towns such as Motovun, Roc and Bale. Despite its small number of residents Hum has preserved the old ritual 'Election of the prefect for a year' when all the men from the parish gather at the Municipal Loggia (town hall) to elect the village superior by carving their votes into a wooden stick.

What to see and do in Hum

Apart from being famous for being the smallest city in the world, recently Hum became popular for biska, a brandy spiced with mistletoe and made according to an old recipe originating from Hum. Every year at the end of October, the Grappa festival takes place here, presenting brandy producers from all over Istria.

Combine a day-trip to Hum with visits to some of the neighbouring hill towns such as Draguc, Groznjan or Motovun and enjoy a leisurely meal at Hum's friendly konoba restaurant. Also worth a visit in the immediate vicinity there is the small picturesque village of Kotli, which has experienced a new revival after being completely desolated, and is known for its charming water-mills and waterfall.